


For an Island Devil

by oceans_and_emotions



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AruAni, F/M, Fluff, Oneshot, subtle angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:48:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28594992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oceans_and_emotions/pseuds/oceans_and_emotions
Summary: She would rather be ripped from her titan’s nape than admit it, but Armin Arlert was pretty cute, for an island devil.
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Annie Leonhart
Comments: 4
Kudos: 149





	For an Island Devil

**Author's Note:**

> I can barely find any Aruani fics on here so I really said foine, I'll do it myself. Nothing intense, just a subtle little oneshot to fill in a little bit of interaction gap between them during training days, pre-graduation—a little peek into Annie's thoughts on Armin. Best understood if you've seen the first couple of episodes of Season 4—no direct spoilers, but I reference an interaction from episode 3.
> 
> Please do not comment any manga spoilers! Thank you and enjoy <3
> 
> (Also, I know Levi and the scouts weren't in their training camp, but let's just pretend they were in town for a bit. Cool.)

* * *

“I’m gonna barf. Can you move your face away from mine?"

Annie's temper flared as she walked back into the camp, remembering Reiner's condescendingly superior attitude.

_This was not the way things were supposed to happen,_ she thought to herself, her calm footsteps masking the frustration and helplessness about to reach their limit. _If only that stupid boy hadn't frozen that day. We wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for him._

"Annie?" She was jolted out of her swirling thoughts and looked up to see a pale-skinned, golden-haired boy smiling tentatively at her. He was carrying a couple of books under his arm. His expression faltered as his eyes met hers, and she realized she might still be scowling.

"Armin," she acknowledged, softening her face a little to reassure him that she wasn’t going to bite. His face brightened.

"What were you doing out? It's past curfew and we have an early start tomorrow." He gulped. "Not that I'd tell on you or anything. And if you don't want to tell me it's fine," he added quickly, and she winced internally at this. Everyone seemed to walk on eggshells around her, and she hated their knee-jerk reactions. It was just easier to ignore everyone and be ignored in return—but Armin was one of the few people who tried to engage, and at least, one of the few she could tolerate. He wasn't loud or brash like Eren or Jean, or bat-shit crazy like Sasha and Connie, and didn't remind her everyday of failure like Reiner and Bertholdt. Don't even get her started on the other girls.

"I went for a walk," she said simply. "You're still up too," she noted, and glanced cooly at the books under his arm. "Library?"

Armin grinned sheepishly, but he was more relaxed as he replied. "Yeah, I got carried away reading up about tactical strategy and I missed dinner. I was actually about to head to the mess hall to see if there were leftovers out today." He hesitated for a split second. "Want to come?"

Normally she'd want to be alone after another frustrating rendezvous with Reiner and Bertholdt, but something in the boy's eyes compelled her to consider the invitation. She mulled the thought over. The girls' rooms would be chaotic right now with people winding down for bed. Her stomach twinged suddenly, and she realized she'd missed dinner as well. _Why not,_ she thought. _Some food might make me feel better._ She wondered for a moment if they had dessert out, and then remembered that Sasha Blouse existed.

"Sure," she shrugged. Armin's eyes widened slightly in surprise that she'd agreed, and then he smiled and nodded. They walked together towards the mess hall.

"So, I was reading up about the scouting expedition history and how Commander Erwin developed the new scouting formation that they currently use," he began, gesturing excitedly with his free hand. "It's brilliant really! After several brutal and unsuccessful expeditions they realized they needed to cut their losses, but they didn't have a way to communicate out on the field, which led to them experimenting with signal flare technology..."

Annie listened in silence as the boy chattered enthusiastically, and studied him curiously out of the corner of her eye. Armin Arlert. She knew he had come from the same town as Eren and Mikasa, and the three were always hanging out together. She assumed that this tight-knit friendship was the reason for him choosing to train as a solider. The boy was hardly gifted in the combat department—she'd seen him get his ass handed to him several times during training. But what he lacked in physical prowess he made up for intellectually—he was highly observant, razor-sharp, and outdid them all in the classroom. And he wasn't scared of her, either. Cautious, yes, but he didn't avoid her like everyone else did—not that she minded that. Did she consider him a friend? She didn't think she could consider anyone here a friend. That's not what she was here for. But she could at least be in his presence without wanting to roll her eyes, and that was something.

“So you’re thinking of joining the Survey Corps?” She said, cutting him off mid-ramble.

“Oh—yeah, of course!” He replied. “That’s where Eren and Mikasa are going, and it’s the only faction I feel that’s making a significant difference in our battle against the titans.”

She glanced at him. “You’re not scared?”

The boy flushed momentarily, but then resolve steeled his features. “Of course I am,” he replied. “I’m terrified. I know I’m not the strongest in the field. But I know it’s the right thing to do, and I’ll do what it takes to make myself useful and contribute to our knowledge.”

Huh. She had to hand it to him, he had more guts than she had thought.

"Oh look, they have some stew left out today!" Armin said excitedly as they reached the empty mess hall and approached the leftovers table. Captain Levi was infamous for barely getting sleep, and he fueled his night owl habit by insisting on keeping out a tea station in the mess hall and, if Sasha didn't go to town, some leftovers for other insomniac officers and soldiers. Most soldiers who had ever experienced a night of sleeplessness at the garrison had visited the mess hall to only be met by a scowling, tea-bearing Levi or a hangry Hange in the middle of an all-nighter experiment. Thankfully, tonight was a quiet one.

They grabbed a couple of bowls and sat down across each other on a nearby table, eating in silence. The stew was no longer hot and was hardly a gourmet meal, but it was thick and filling and quelled the pangs in her stomach.

"Annie...is there something bothering you?"

She glanced at him sharply. She was pretty good at maintaining stoicism most of the time, and she was impressed by his intuition. Surprised, too, at his courage—she was intimidating and she knew it, used it to her advantage even—and she enjoyed the isolation it brought. The boy met her gaze, expression neutral and open. She hated how innocent and trusting he was. He waited patiently in silence.

"I had an important goal I set for myself," she finally replied, choosing her words carefully."And my current circumstances are hindering me from achieving it. And it's...frustrating." She added, surprised at her own admission. Was she getting soft?

He didn't press further, and she was grateful. There was a beat of silence as they continued to eat, then he looked up at her encouragingly.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure you'll get it soon," he said confidently. "I don't think anything can stop Annie Leonhart."

She let out a small chuckle. She had meant for it to be a bitter one, but Armin's eyes widened in delight that he had gotten anything close to humor from her. He was like a damn puppy.

"You laughed! See, I told Eren and Mikasa that you can laugh. They think that you'll never show any emotion but I can tell you're not a heartless monster. Not that I talk about you a lot to them I mean. I just notice these things. Not that I'm watching you! I just—I observe everyone," he finished lamely, his face turning beet red. He looked down and fiddled with his spoon and empty bowl, willing more stew to appear so he could busy himself with something.

Annie took in his flushed face with contained amusement. _Well well, Arlert._

"How can you tell?"

Armin looked up. "Sorry?"

The girl looked back at him, with an expression he couldn't quite read. Was it guilt? Regret?

"How can you tell I'm not a heartless monster?"

_Because I am one,_ she thought to herself. _If only you knew. Who I am, what I’ve done, what I have to do. You wouldn't be sitting here across me blushing like a little school boy._

Armin glanced away for a moment, expression serious, gathering his thoughts.

"Because of how hard you work," he said suddenly, firmly, catching her off guard.

"You may act like you don't care sometimes, but I've seen you push yourself so hard during training. You get really intense, especially when you fight. You stay off to the side and ignore everyone and your mind goes somewhere. You’re definitely not trying to prove anything to anyone. I don’t know a lot about your past and where you came from, but...no one is that hard on themselves without having something they really care about—or someone—" he said, glancing at her, "—to live for."

_Her knuckles, bloody and battered, ram violently against a punching bag. Sharp pain in her lungs as she fights to breathe. An older man, smelling strongly of perspiration and despair, kneels in front of her and holds her bruised and exhausted shoulders tightly. "So promise me," he says, his voice ragged. "Promise me you'll come back..."_

She stood up abruptly, grabbing her empty bowl and heading to the dirty dish station. There was a clatter as the blond haired boy stood in a panic and grabbed his used bowl to follow her.

“Annie, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to offend you or anything. I was just—“

He stopped as she placed her bowl in the return area and turned to face him.

“You didn’t offend me.”

His eyes were wide, apologetic. Those damn puppy dog eyes. “I’m sorry anyway. I probably said too much and overstepped.”

She walked toward him slowly, stopping just a few inches in front of him. This close, he could see a flicker of that same unreadable emotion in her steely eyes.

“Thanks,” she said quietly, and momentary confusion passed across the boy’s face. “For believing that I’m not a heartless monster.”

He said nothing then, but smiled, a genuine and warm smile, and an unexpected flutter ran through her. _His eyes are very blue,_ she noticed, and immediately squashed the thought.

She would rather be ripped from her titan’s nape than admit it, but Armin Arlert was pretty cute, for an island devil.

“Oi! STEW!”

The moment was interrupted by a loud bang of the mess hall door, followed by the entrance of a deranged Hange Zoë in search of a snack. So much for peace and quiet.

“Get some sleep, Arlert,” Annie said, smirking ever so slightly as she turned away from him. “It’s past curfew and we have an early start tomorrow.” She glanced back at their table. “And don’t forget your books.”

She allowed herself a small smile as she slipped away from the mess hall, leaving behind a red-faced Armin, about to be assaulted by a hangry Hange.

She couldn’t change the way things were. She had to do what she had to do.

But maybe she could allow herself to have one friend.


End file.
